1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to cushions or pillows and, more particularly, to pillows with adjustable layers or inserts.
2. Description of the Related Art
People have different preferences for firmness and height of pillows. Some people are more comfortable and sleep better using a pillow that is relatively soft, while others prefer a pillow that is more firm. Similarly, some people prefer a relatively high, tall pillow while others are more comfortable with a relatively flat pillow. Some users might even want a pillow of a particular height and firmness part of the time and of a different height and/or firmness another time. Thus, it would be advantageous for a pillow to be adjustable in firmness and height, and various attempts have been made to provide such flexibility.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,959,880 to Tesch describes a pillow with a removable filling component that changes the hardness of the pillow.
Some pillows have segmented sections, each of a different firmness or size. Adjustability is typically achieved by moving the pillow so that the appropriate section is directly underhead, leaving the undesired sections still attached but moved away from the head of the user. U.S. Pat. No. 395,043 to Doremus and U.S. Pat. No. 3,216,028 to Lawson describe segmented pillows. Some people have a physical malady that makes an adjustable pillow desirable, such as an orthopedic or therapeutic pillow. A therapeutic pillow is described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,908,894 to Sanders and a therapeutic pillow cover is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,168,590 to O'Sullivan.
A symmetric distribution of firmness and size across the volume of a pillow are usually desired. Unfortunately, the adjustable pillows described can have an asymmetric distribution of firmness and height, so that a user might experience different firmness and height across the sleeping area of the pillow.
Pillows can be quite expensive and therefore it would be advantageous if conventional pillows that have lost their shape, size, or firmness could be restored without the expense of purchasing a replacement pillow. Unfortunately, most pillows with removable inserts are not compatible with existing conventional pillows. Thus, the feature of adjustability could be gained only by entirely replacing a pillow.
The above-referenced U.S. Pat. No. 5,168,590 to O'Sullivan describes a pillow cover that uses pads asymmetrically positioned about the cover to provide adjustment. U.S. Pat. No. 4,508,044 to Downey et al. describes a pillow cover that is wrapped around a deteriorated pillow and sewn shut.
From the discussion above, it should be apparent that there is a need for an easily adjustable pillow cover that can be used with a conventional pillow and provides different firmness and thickness across the entire sleeping area of the pillow. The present invention satisfies this need.